"The only thing I’m going to say about Tuukka is I’m really happy he’s still with us. What I’d like to do here is probably give Peter and Tuukka the opportunity to probably express themselves more on the situation. They’re the ones that did the work. I’m the coach that gets the gift, I guess," smiled Julien. "I’m happy to have him with us for all these years."

"He’s a really down to earth kid but at the same time, he’s got that fire. People say he’s got a fire in the belly. He’s got that competitive nature in him that makes him want to be a great goaltender all the time," added Julien."

"[Carl] Soderberg, I’m telling you right now, we didn’t see much of him, but I’ve seen enough even in practice and the few games that if this guy, once he’s got the experience in this league and figures it out, he’s going to be a good player. I see good things coming from him."

"We’ll just have to, like anything else, put that puzzle together. Do we put Iginla on the first line with Krejci or on the other first line with Bergeron? To me, I always thought those two lines were pretty identical as far as contribution and production. Where are we going to put Eriksson? Which fit is going to be better? And then is Soderberg going to be a better centerman vs. winger and is Kelly going to be better at the wing with Soderberg at center and vice versa?"

Coach on Iginla: "I Don't Blame the Player"

And as far as Jarome Iginla goes, Coach Julien - like Chiarelli and Captain Zdeno Chara, who have both weighed in on the well-documented time around the trade deadline with the former Calgary Flames captain - won't be harboring any bad blood when it comes time for Training Camp.

"I said it from the get-go - I don't blame the player. It was his right to make that decision. If we’re honest and we look at where both teams were at that time, Pittsburgh was playing so well. We struggled at the end of the year with all these games and that stuff. Did he make the decision based on that? Maybe. And if he did, can you blame him?"

"As much as it was disappointing for us at the time, you have to respect that that guy could make his own decision. I know you guys kept asking is that extra motivation against Pittsburgh. I didn't really answer it. For me, it wasn’t. It was like, so he chose there, I want to win for the right reasons and I think the fact that he extended himself to Peter [during free agency] and Peter felt the same way I did. Let’s move on here. Right now, we’ve got a pretty good player who’s excited about coming here and that's the main thing."

I become a bigger Julien fan with every season, and I'm jacked and pumped about these statements. He's going to run an awesome camp - with all the right questions mentioned here in these comments.

1. Where to put Iginla & Eriksson (although we all seem to think Iginla rides with Krejci and Eriksson with Bergeron)

2. 3rd line - not only the Soderberg center or wing question, but which of 3-4 options from Providence get the other gig. Or does Paille move up?

3. Not mentioned, but who rounds out the defensive 6?

It's all great stuff. While we're all bummed about the 17 seconds of infamy, there's a lot to like about how this team is shaping up for next year. Can't wait!

Asmaha, I originally assumed that Eriksson would play with Bergeron and Marchand to form a shutdown line but now I wonder if having Iginla play there wouldn't be a better idea. I figure that might give better balance to the 2 lines. Eriksson could add a defensive conscience to the first line with Lucic as the banger and Krejci as the setup man. Iginla as the banger on the other line seems intriguing to me as well.

I become a bigger Julien fan with every season, and I'm jacked and pumped about these statements. He's going to run an awesome camp - with all the right questions mentioned here in these comments.

1. Where to put Iginla & Eriksson (although we all seem to think Iginla rides with Krejci and Eriksson with Bergeron)

2. 3rd line - not only the Soderberg center or wing question, but which of 3-4 options from Providence get the other gig. Or does Paille move up?

3. Not mentioned, but who rounds out the defensive 6?

It's all great stuff. While we're all bummed about the 17 seconds of infamy, there's a lot to like about how this team is shaping up for next year. Can't wait!

Asmaha, I originally assumed that Eriksson would play with Bergeron and Marchand to form a shutdown line but now I wonder if having Iginla play there wouldn't be a better idea. I figure that might give better balance to the 2 lines. Eriksson could add a defensive conscience to the first line with Lucic as the banger and Krejci as the setup man. Iginla as the banger on the other line seems intriguing to me as well.

With 2 RW of this quality and overall game it's a nice problem to have. Can't wait for 2013-14 season to start. I just hope we don't see a team wide hangover like in 11-12.In Chia and Julien I trust!

Claude does get better with age, and the players that Peter provides. I thought Iginla would be with Kreji, but then recognized that claude uses a center/wing for PK duty, so Kreji/Ericsson would be better, and Iginla can clean up all the opportunities created by Bergeron/Marchand. Allready Claude is thinking Soderberg at center and Kelly at wing which creates another PK duo. Any right wing will benefit as both Caron and Fraser look to have the tools. Just like most I fel that Peter will ask Thorny to retire since the young players have many more skills as well as toughness.